1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL For Sale by Auction

Dorotheum - Sammlung Wiesenthal / Dorotheum - The Wiesenthal Collection
Ohne Limit / Without Reserve
Samstag, 1. Dezember 2018 / Saturday, 1st December 2018
Camineum der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek / 1015 Wien, Josefsplatz 1

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (ohne Limit)

Chassis the details below00
Motor the details below25
Aufbau the details below85

Seit 1979 in der Sammlung Wiesenthal
Das absolute Highlight der Sammlung
Matching Numbers

Die neue Automobil-Weltmeisterschaft zum Jahr 1950 verfolgte man auch bei Mercedes mit Interesse. Schließlich setzte die Konkurrenz von damals immer noch auf das Gerät von damals, und mit den Wunderwagen von damals, die im Keller schlummerten, wähnte man sich überlegen wie in jenen Tagen. Weil man sich jedoch keine Blöße geben wollte, testete man die alten Renner erst abseits der großen Bühne in Südamerika. Und siehe da, die Überlegenheit war dahin. Auch ein neues Reglement, das für 1952 den Hubraum in der Formel 1 beträchtlich beschnitt, verlangte nach einer Neuentwicklung und deshalb entschied sich der Vorstand gegen die Formel 1 und für die Sportwagen-Meisterschaft. Bloß, auch dafür fehlte ein Wagen.

Mit dem neuen 300er hatte man der Welt bewiesen, dass man in der Oberklasse wieder das Maß der Dinge war. Dessen 3-Liter-Motor hatte Potenzial und tatsächlich ließen sich 170 PS herausholen. Doch das Aggregat war schwer, weshalb die Hülle leicht sein musste. Um ein Netz von einem Gitterrohrrahmen wurde eine strömungsgünstige Leichtmetallkarosse mit einem cw-Wert von 0, 25 geformt. Der Rahmen selbst wog gar nur 50 Kilo. Herkömmliche Türen hätten der Konstruktion die Stabilität genommen, die Lösung des Problems gab den 300 SL getauften Rennern jene Charakteristik, wofür sie heute jeder kennt, seine Flügeltüren.

Die Rennerfolge ließen nicht lange auf sich warten. Ob Nürburgring, Carrera Panamericana oder Le Mans, wo die 300 SL 1952 starteten, gewannen sie meist auch. Doch schon Ende August verkündete man das Karriereende der zehn gebauten Renner, schließlich wollte man 1954 in die Formel 1 einsteigen. Das Schicksal der 300 SL schien besiegelt noch bevor ihre Geschichte so richtig begonnen hatte. Im Dezember dann das Umdenken, fünf Wagen will Rudolf Uhlenhaut für 1953 bauen lassen, Verbesserungspotenzial gab es ja, vor allem bei der Leistung. Doch folgte Anfang 1953 das endgültige Aus. Man hatte alles gewonnen, die Überlegenheit hinreichend bewiesen, auf eine weitere Beweisführung konnte man getrost verzichten.

Einer der fünf Totgesagten war da bereits fast fertig. Und der diente der Versuchsabteilung nun als Kaninchen. Er sollte noch leichter, noch windschlüpfriger und vor allem stärker sein. Hatte man im Jahr davor noch mit Kompressoraufladung experimentiert, so sollte nun eine Benzineinspritzung neben erhöhter Verdichtung und größerem Ein- und Auslass für mehr Leistung sorgen. Erfahrung damit hatte man bereits bei den Flugmotoren gesammelt, den 300 SL brachte die Sechsstempeleinspritzpumpe auf 215 PS.

Dass es nicht nur bei dem einen Prototypen blieb, ist auch einem nach New York emigrierten Wiener zu verdanken. Max Hoffman war nicht nur seit 1952 Mercedes-Importeur, er galt auch als Liebhaber schneller Wagen und hatte ein Gespür dafür, wonach die Neue Welt verlangte. Die Erfolge des 300 SL hatten Eindruck bei ihm hinterlassen, auch den Eindruck, dass mit solch einem Wagen Geld zu verdienen war.

Hoffman bekniete den Vorstand in Stuttgart den SL in Serie zu bauen, orderte gar 1. 000 Stück, bis dieser im Herbst 1953 einwilligte. Aus dem Renn-Prototypen wurde ein Seriensportwagen, nur dort zivilisiert, wo es nötig war. Der SL bekam Stoßstangen, um Kosten zu sparen verzichtete man mit Ausnahme von Hauben und Türen auf Leichtmetall, das Getriebe saß wieder vorne am Motor. Der war aber jenes Rennaggregat mit Einspritzung aus dem Prototypen, rocket science im Vergleich mit allem, was sonst so über die Straßen rollte.

Schon im Februar 1954 auf der International Motor Sports Show in New York präsentierte Mercedes den fertigen 300 SL Serienwagen, gemeinsam mit einem kleinen, zivilen Bruder, dem 190 SL. Die Produktion begann im August, die ersten Fahrzeuge blieben durchwegs in Europa, Hoffman und seine Neue Welt mussten sich noch gedulden. Trotz seines sündhaft teuren Preises von DM 29. 000 wurde er zum Erfolg, ab 1955 vor allem auch in den USA, wohin das Gros der Wagen verkauft wurde.

Exakt 1. 400 Exemplare entstanden in knapp drei Jahren, 29 davon ganz aus Aluminium, einer mit Glasfaserhülle. Während seiner gesamten Bauzeit wurde der 300 SL stets verbessert. Als er Anfang 1957 schließlich vom Roadster abgelöst wurde, war er längst schon Legende!

1957 debütierte der 300 SL Roadster und löste das Coupé ab. Optisch auf den letzten Stand gebracht, packte man in Stuttgart noch einmal alles Können aus, spendierte dem Roadster eine neue Hinterachse, die die Fahreigenschaften drastisch optimierte, später dann auch Scheibenbremsen und zu guter Letzt einen Motorblock aus Aluminium. Der Roadster war noch ein Stück teurer als das Coupé, aber auch noch ein Stück erfolgreicher. 1. 858 Exemplare verließen bis 1963 die Werkshallen.

Der 300 SL der Sammlung Wiesenthal ist der 200. gebaute im Jahr 1955, dem mit 855 Stück stärksten Jahr der Produktion. Das lag mit daran, dass in diesem Jahr die Lieferung in die USA erst richtig begann, wohin dank „Maxie“ Hoffman fast 80% verkauft wurden. So wurde auch dieser hier in einer leichten Seekiste nach New York geschickt, gemeinsam mit einem Kilo Lack in DB 180 silbergrau. Denn wie fast 40% trug auch dieses Exemplar die klassischste aller Farben. Auch das Interieur war Standard, sofern man bei einem solchen Wagen davon sprechen kann, L1, blau karierter Stoff, und L, graue Türtapezierung. Extras umfassten Instrumente in englischer Sprache, sealed-beam Scheinwerfer, Stoßstangenhörner und eine SWF-Scheibenwaschanlage.

So kam der 300 SL bei Ambie Collins, seiner ersten Besitzerin, in Port Chester im Bundesstaat New York an. Ihr folgten nur zwei weitere, ehe der Flügeltürer schon im Februar 1979 nach Wien in die Sammlung Wiesenthal kam. Über das Händlernetz in den USA fand auch er zurück über den Atlantik. Dort ist er seither neben seinem offenen Pendant und dem 300 S das Prunkstück der Sammlung. Bis zum heutigen Tag trägt er jenes Kennzeichen, auf das er am 28. Februar 1979 zugelassen wurde: W-7. 990. Damit ist er vielleicht der letzte Flügeltürer im Land mit einer schwarzen Nummer.

Auf dem alten Foto in der Einzelgenehmigung zeigt sich der SL damals noch gut in Schuss. Schon davor war noch in den USA das Interieur in schwarzem Leder erneuert worden, der karierte Stoff galt nicht unbedingt als für die Ewigkeit gemacht. 1992 und 1993 folgte schließlich eine Vollrestauration der Karosserie in der hauseigenen Werkstätte. Die Arbeiten sind mit Rechnungen und zahlreichen Polaroids bis ins Detail dokumentiert, deren Qualität spricht auch 25 Jahre später noch für sich. Zur Jahrtausendwende wurde schließlich auch der Motor komplett überholt. In den Folgejahren war der SL eifrig im Rallye-Einsatz: Alpenfahrt, Ennstal Classic und nicht zuletzt die Mille Miglia hat er erfolgreich bestritten. Auch die SL-Clubtreffen in Laxenburg waren stets ein fixer Termin. Mit 20. 000 Meilen in fast 20 Jahren war seine Haltung durchaus artgerecht.

40 Jahre in einem Haus macht diesem so schnell keiner nach. Innen wunderbar patiniert, außen hervorragend restauriert, fasziniert er mit seiner gesamten Erscheinung, Der 300 SL war immer mehr als nur ein Automobil, er ist ein Rennwagen im Straßenanzug, mehr Kunstwerk als Auto, jeder davon einzigartig und dieser hier umso mehr!

---

In the Wiesenthal Collection since 1979
The center piece of the collection
Matching Numbers

Mercedes watched the new World Automobile Championship in 1950 with great interest. Ultimately, the competitors from the past placed their bets on the cars from the past, and the miracle cars from those days that were gathering dust in the cellar, thought to still be able to win as they had done back then. Nobody wanted to embarrass themselves, however, so the old race cars were first tested in South America, away from the big stage. And all of a sudden, that their former dominance was shattered. A new ruling that considerably cut down cylinder capacity for Formula 1 in 1952 meant that new developments were in order. As a result, executives decided against Formula 1 and for the World Sportscar Championship. All well and good – but they did not have a car to race in that, either.

With the new 300 series Mercedes had shown the world that they were once again the people to beat in the superior class. Its 3-litre engine had potential and could actually get up to 170 horsepower. However, the unit was heavy, which meant that the body had to be light. An aerodynamic body made of light aluminium with a drag coefficent of 0. 25 was shaped around a skeleton of a spaceframe. The frame itself weighed just 50 kilos. Standard doors would have taken the stability away from the construction, but the problem was solved by giving the 300 SL race cars the characteristic that everyone remembers them for today: their gull-wing doors.

It was not long before it enjoyed success on the race track. No matter whether at the Nürburgring, Carrera Panamericana or at Le Mans, in 1952, the 300 SL won practically every race it competed in. However, retirement was announced as soon as the end of August for the ten race cars that had been built. Ultimately, Mercedes wanted to return to Formula 1 in 1954. It looked like the 300 SL’s fate was sealed before it had even properly got started. A fresh approach was taken to the situation in December. Rudolf Uhlenhaut wanted to have five cars built for 1953 – after all, there was room for improvement, especially in terms of power. Despite this, the chop came once and for all at the start of 1953. They had won everything, dominance had been sufficiently asserted, and Mercedes could confidently dispense with providing further proof.

One of the five cars for which the death knell had sounded was almost finished. This car was now the guinea pig for the Experimental Department. The aim was to make it even lighter, even more streamlined, and above all, even more powerful. While experiments with superchargers had been carried out in the previous year, now fuel injection technology was intended to provide a boost, along with increased compression and bigger inlets and outlets. Work on aircraft engines provided experience in this domain, and the 6-stample injection pump brought it up to 215 horsepower.

We have a man from Vienna, who had emigrated to New York, to thank for the fact that it did not just remain a prototype. Max Hoffmann had been importing Mercedes cars since 1952, but he offered much more than that. He was an aficionado of fast cars and had a keen sense of what the New World wanted. The success of the 300 SL had left an impression on him: the impression that a car like that could make good money.

Hoffman begged the executives in Stuttgart to produce the SL en masse, and even ordered 1, 000 of them, until they gave in, in autumn 1953. The racing prototypes gave birth to a mass-produced sports car, just toned down where necessary. The SL was given bumpers, and to save money, the light alloy was dispensed with apart from for the bonnet and doors. The gear-box was returned to the front of the car, by the engine. However, the engine was the same injection-based racing unit from the prototypes. It was rocket science when compared to everything else trundling down the roads.

Mercedes unveiled the finished production 300 SL at the International Motor Sports Show in New York in February 1954, along with its smaller, more civilized brother, the 190 SL. Production began in August, but the first cars stayed in Europe - so Hoffman and his New World had to be patient. Despite the eye-watering price of DM 29, 000, it became a triumph. With larger numbers built from 1955 onwards, it also enjoyed success, especially in the USA, where the majority of the cars were sold.

Precisely 1, 400 cars were built in just three years. 29 of them were made purely from aluminium and one had a fibreglass body. The 300 SL was continuously improved throughout the period it was produced. It had been a legend for years by the time it was replaced by the Roadster in 1957!

The 300 SL Roadster was revealed in 1957 and replaced the coupé. In terms of design, it was bang up-to-date, and in Stuttgart, they once again exploited their knowledge to the max, giving the Roadster a new rear axle to drastically improve its handling. Later, disc brakes were added, and, finally, an engine block made from aluminium. The Roadster was quite a bit more expensive than the coupé, but it was also quite a bit more successful. 1, 858 of them had rolled off the assembly lines by 1963.

The 300 SL in the Wiesenthal Collection is the 200th car produced in 1955. This year saw 855 gullwings produced, the most of any production year. One reason behind this was that this was the year when supply to the USA really began in force – the country where, thanks to Max Hoffman, almost 80% were sold. This car was also sent to New York in a lightweight shipping box, along with a kilo of paint in its DB 180 silver grey. It was cloaked in this most traditional of colours, as were almost 40% of its fellow 300 SLs. Even the interior was standard, inasmuch as you can say that about a vehicle like this: L1, blue-checkered fabric and L, grey upholstery on the doors. Add-ons came in the form of instruments in English, sealed-beam headlights, bumper guards and an SWF windscreen washing system.

This is how the 300 SL arrived to greet Ambie Collins, its first owner, in Port Chester in New York State. She was followed by two more owners before this 300 SL made its way to the Wiesenthal Collection in Vienna in February 1979. It, too, crossed the Atlantic via the network of dealers in the USA. In addition to its open-topped counterpart and the 300 S, it is one of the center pieces of the collection. It still has the number plate issued to it on 28 February 1979: W-7990. This might well make it the last gullwing in the country with black plates.

The old photo in the „Einzelgenehmigung“ reveals that the SL was in good condition back then. Even prior to that, in the USA, the interior had been refreshed in black leather: the checkered fabric had not been made to survive for ever. The body was fully restored in the company’s in-house workshop in 1992 and 1993. The work is documented down to the smallest detail with invoices and numerous polaroids, and, 25 years on, its quality speaks for itself. Ultimately, the engine was also completely overhauled at the turn of the millennium. The SL cropped up at rallies time and time again in the years that followed: it successfully competed at the Alpenfahrt, Ennstal Classic and, last but not least, the Mille Miglia. The SL club meeting in Laxenburg was always a firm date in its diary. Covering 20, 000 miles in almost 20 years, it has been kept as inteded to.

It will take a good while before another car can compete with this one, having spent 40 years owned by the same company. With a wonderful patina on the inside and an outstanding restoration performed on its exterior, its overall appearance is fascinating. The 300 SL has always been more than just an automobile: it is a race car that is dressed for the road, more of a piece of art than a car. Every single one is unique – and this one is even more so!

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